The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: Dolphins vs. Vikings

The Miami Dolphins second and third units (2-2) put on a clinic against the Minnesota Vikings (2-2) in the final game of preseason. The overall outcome was an entertaining, one-sided 30-9 win for the Dolphins.

On offense, receiver Jakeem Grant stole the show, showing off why he was Texas Tech’s all-time leading receiver.

Grant, finished the game with four catches for 141 yards (all in the first half) and a touchdown.

Defensively, Matt Burke’s unit was incredibly disruptive. While the linebacker core did give up a touchdown, it is hard to criticize a defense that only afforded the Vikings nine points.

(Sidebar: Hey, TJ McDonald, please hurry back from suspension)

With the season opener just nine days away, Miami still has some giant questions to solve when it comes to the final 53-man roster. Still, with Adam Gase’s continued culture shock, when it comes to the Miami Dolphins’ 2017 season, to quote Kevin Garnett, “Anything is possibleeeee”.

The Good

Jakeem Grant-

Finally… I’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time! I first covered Jakeem Grant on March 23, 2016 (http://bit.ly/2vx7hzU) and while I did call him “Darren Sproles 2.0,” deep down the potential for the 5’6″ wideout was limitless.

Grant finished the final two weeks of preseason recording five receptions for 210 yards and two touchdowns. The 24-year old seems as though he could be a staple of the Dolphins’ offense and a deep target for gunslinger QB Jay Cutler.

David Fales-

Oh snap, David Fales can ball!

Selected in the 6th round of the 2014 Draft by none other than the Chicago Bears (Adam Gase was offensive coordinator at the time), Foles closed out preseason with a strong performance.

The 26-year old, who unfortunately is ineligible for the practice squad, finished the game 12-of-20 passing for 193 yards and three touchdowns.

While it is unlikely the Dolphins keep Fales on the final 53-man roster, it was fun while it lasted.

Best of luck, David.

The Bad

Brandon Doughty-

I’ll keep it short and sweet, Brandon Doughty seems to be a QB who just has not made the jump yet. His mediocre 2-of-5 for 22 yards performance did little to impress. It was especially disappointing coming against the Vikings’ lesser-known players. With that said, it is highly likely Doughty will remain on the Miami Dolphins practice squad.

The Ugly-

Leonte Carroo-

After strong performances throughout camp this season, Leonte Carroo has once again let me down.

Finishing Thursday game with one reception for 12 yards on three targets, the biggest question now is what is holding Carroo back?

The Miami Dolphins traded up to the 86th overall pick to acquire Leonte Carroo, giving up a 6th round pick in 2016 as well as a 3rd and 4th round selections in 2017.

At $560k, Carroo makes sense this season. However, with $1.3 million due in throughout the final two season of his rookie contract, Miami cannot afford to wait long for Carroo to blossom.